Customer Reviews

Tingri

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This release of Jonn Serrie is not anything close to "And the Stars Go With You..." or the "Plantary Chronicles" volumes. There are some really beautiful tracks. Generally this CD is a little less 'Space' and a little more a musical journey. Still a nice CD.

There are some gorgeous tracks on this release, but his experimental tracks took me some time to appreciate. This is where Jonn took about a 45 degree turn in his musical style. "Winter's Chapel" is not only my favorite piece on this c.d., but is probably in the top three of my favorites songs of any ambient piece from any artist. It is a beautifully haunting piece with a slow, off beat rhythm and a subtly tricky melody, if you listen closely. The cover of the c.d. is beautiful.

Unlike Jonn's totally SPACE releases, "Tingri" seems to have been the vehicle that he experimented with while refining his craft. Although the CD never really gets into space, it does contain more enjoyable tracks than flops. "Midsummer Century" is very similar (only more spacey) and makes a nice pair for collectors.

Jonn Serrie is best known for his space music and justifiably so as he is the best in the genre. This was originally, I believe, his third release back in 1990. While this is not the typical space music of his first two releases, And the Stars Go With You and Flightpath, his later two Planetary Chronicles releases, and the more recent Stargazers Journey, I believe it's his best work simply because it is diverse. Some Serrie "purists" may take issue with some of the tracks here as being a little on the commercial side, but the true fact is there is a greater range of music here than on any of the other Serrie CD's I have heard and all are done extremely well for their style. Serrie later did some romantic releases and the track here "Where Lovers Walk" may have been the springboard for those. Whether it was or not, it is a beautiful, well designed and crafted, and innovative composition. There are a couple of uptempo tracks here, including the title track, but the longer tracks like Tingri Maiden and Annie By the Sea come close to fitting the style of his space music. This is an excellent CD, and as I stated, I think underrated. While it does change tempo from time to time, it is a solid listening experience from beginning to end.

This was my first introduction to Serrie's music. I bought the CD after hearing one cut in a new age shop. I've had it for years and never tire of the exquisite range of feeling and fantasy this collection inspires -- from lyrical to meditative. Wonderful to listen to while driving.

Serrie offers a range of musical styles on this CD from upbeat new age (the title song) to trance ("Tingri Maiden" and "Annie by the Sea"). The latter two cuts are the longest on the album and definitely material for the chill room at your local rave.

My favorite cut in this set is the truly chilly "Winter's Chapel," with the electronic rumble of wind blowing in the chimney and a haunting, repeating musical motif that evokes images of snow-covered fields under moonlight. Great for the car stereo and late-night freeway driving.

This might be Jonn Serrie's most different album. The theme of this cd is Tibetan culture, so there is an African flavor to several of the tracks. That isn't the only thing, though. On this album Serrie also experiments with more conventional-sounding music. The first few songs are bouncy and upbeat, containing far more substance than you might be used to hearing from Serrie.

The last half of the album, however, takes a sharp turn back to the long-form ambient music Jonn Serrie is known best for. "Winter's Chapel" is a wonderful song for stargazing, and "Annie By the Sea" has a beautifully melancholy, yet deeply mysterious tone to it.

Tingri is one of Jonn Serrie's least space-focused albums, but it still delivers.

Tingri Maiden is still one of my top three best songs by JS. It's been several years since this album came out and I still find myself listening to this song. If you're only going to get one song from this album I suggest Tingri Maiden. Listening to it will definitely take you on a journey into deep space.